


Absolutely Nothing, Probably

by Cerberusia



Category: Oasis (Band)
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:36:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22762141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cerberusia/pseuds/Cerberusia
Summary: The thing was - well, it was probably nothing.
Relationships: Liam Gallagher/Noel Gallagher
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 5





	Absolutely Nothing, Probably

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Snickfic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snickfic/gifts).

Noel wasn't a total dick, was the thing. He'd gone all weird and cold, changed his attitude, ever since they got a record deal or thereabouts; but sometimes you could still have a laugh with him. Even Tony, who'd been on Noel's shitlist ever since he started standing up to this new, hard-nosed version of their songwriter, sometimes could get him to turn and speak with him in their normal intimate, confiding, casual way.

Noel's attitude towards Liam had changed too: he was quicker to get fed up with Liam's antics instead of joining in. It was like Noel had decided that since he was the sensible one of the two of them, he had to be _properly_ sensible. It drove Liam bonkers, of course, not that he'd needed the help. And God help Tony if he ever stuck up for Liam, who was wild but at least he was honest and didn't treat Tony like something the cat had brought in - Noel had a way of staring at you with his blue eyes under his thick eyebrows, and if looks could kill, Tony would be a smoking pile of ash on the dodgy studio carpet.

When Noel was really ready to give Liam a bollocking, people would start finding excuses to leave. Oh, they'd start in on each other in front of the whole band no problem, and everybody would ignore it in a slightly uncomfortable way and pretend it didn't remind them of Mum and Dad having a fight. But if it was looking like a big one, well. They'd used to stick around, in case anything got thrown, trying to defuse the situation, even just preparing to hold one of them back from throttling the other - not that Tony had ever seen them come to blows, but they all knew it could happen. These days, everybody knew there was fuck-all point in trying to calm each of them down: they would have their fight if they wanted to have a fight, and in the end, Noel would walk away, leaving Liam steaming, furious and impotent.

So they all fucked off to - where else? - the pub. It was as good a retreat as any. Bonehead would start in on the red wine and the rest of them would have JD and coke, and Guigsy would have some pot on him if they fancied some of that. It wasn't a bad way to while away an afternoon, though it wasn't getting the album recorded.

They talked in desultory fashion. They were almost inured to this shit by now, the same old Liam-Noel posturing and fighting; but it always soured the mood, and the atmosphere tended to be subdued.

The thing was - well, it was probably nothing. Tony had never told any of the band. He saw a lot, did Tony, that he just didn't see fit to mention. No point in causing more fights. Especially not between him and Noel. And it probably _had_ been nothing.

The thing was, he'd _seen_ them.

They hadn't been doing anything, not really. Nothing you couldn't brush off or explain away. They'd been sitting all cuddled up, in a little side room where they stored amps and where Guigsy sometimes went for a crafty fag because the smoke detector in it was bust. Liam had one long leg over Noel's lap and they were cuddling, and there was nothing wrong with that, was there? Noel and Liam could be very physical and lovey-dovey when the mood took them. More physical than Tony would have been with his brother, and the two of them actually got on; but then, Noel and Liam's relationship was full of this push-pull love-hate stuff. Liam eagerly seeking approval, Noel witholding it.

Liam kissed Noel a couple of times on the cheek, and Noel was smiling the smile that made his eyes disappear. It made a nice change. Tony hadn't seen _that_ expression in a while.

It was Noel's hand on Liam's back that did it. His rough fingers were playing with the hem of Liam's t-shirt, occasionally dipping under it to stroke his skin. It was - intimate, a bit possessive. The kind of thing you might do with your girlfriend.

It wasn't like Liam didn't feel Noel up all the fucking time on stage - Bonehead said he was lucky not to get clouted one, and if Noel were a girl he ought to have sued for indecent assault - but Noel, constrained from moving too far away by his guitar plugged into the amp, never seemed all that bothered. But that was on stage: Liam loved playing up on stage. Tony suspected Liam also liked the idea that his brother couldn't run away and was forced to give Liam the attention he so craved, though he thought it prudent not to share this theory with either of the Gallaghers.

But what they did on their own, in private, behind what they'd thought were closed doors...

Tony thought he'd been quiet in stealing away from that half-open door; and in any case, Liam and Noel were completely wrapped up in each other. But he didn't think he was imagining that Noel's hostility to him ramped up from that day on.


End file.
